Leif Erikson

#PetitPod

On October 9th in the United States, they celebrate Leif Erikson Day!

Although I am not from the US, I figured since Canada is part of North America, I could get away with celebrations too!

Leif Erikson did leave a mark on Canada, and we can recognise him for it today.

“Leif was tall and strong and very impressive in appearance. He was a shrewd man and always moderate in his behavior.” 

A few things I could have discussed more at length is the controversy of taking the Norse sagas as fact or fiction, or both. The new thought is to view them as part literature, part factual, but also as a cultural insight into the times in which they were recorded more permanently, almost 400 years after the events occurred. The socio-political events of the early 14th century had particularities that permit historians to wade through these texts to find the gems. This line of enquiry is always fascinating, and you can delve more into it yourselves.

On the fun side, Icelandic or Old Norse names have a different orthography, and you can find more about Leif Erikson through many other versions of his name: Eriksson, Ericson, or Eiriksson. There is also the Old Norse Leifr Eiríksson, or even his name Leif the Lucky. The last one is fun, as it involves his apparently excellent eyesight that saved many men in a shipwreck, and all his other escapades that were fortuitous.

* For references, please click HERE.

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